The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to ostomy ports and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to an ostomy bag replacement mechanism for use in an ostomy port.
Ostomy bags are generally used to collect waste contents discharged through a stoma. Occasionally, the stoma includes an ostomy port to which the bag is attached and through which the waste is discharged. The bags are generally recommended to be replaced when they are one third to one half full to avoid applying excessive pressure to the stomal area and/or to tissue and organs in the abdominal cavity to which the port may be attached, and to prevent possible leakage from the bag. When replacing the bag, waste content remaining inside the ostomy port may flow out and cause possible risk of skin irritation, as well as discomfort and embarrassment to a user of the port. Methods and devices have been described for dealing with undesired waste content flow from ostomy ports, some of which are cited below.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,390 relates to “a continent ostomy port device has a face plate defining an aperture alignable with the opening of a stoma in the user's body and a closure adjacent to the aperture is adapted to permit covering and uncovering of the aperture in the face plate. A catheter extends from one side of the face plate proximally, and one end of the catheter is disposed within the ostomy site when the port device is in use. The catheter has continuous exterior and interior side walls, the latter defining a major lumen and is sized and shaped for non-surgical insertion through a stoma to a sufficient distance that the presence of the catheter within the stoma provides a barrier which reduces the incidence of prolapse, without the use of extraneous, externally applied materials or additional surgery. A removable cartridge fits snugly and slideably within the major lumen of the catheter of the device so as to prevent inadvertent escape of body waste material from the stoma when the cartridge is in place, without use of an ostomy bag, and to clean the interior side wall of the catheter as the cartridge is pressed into the major lumen. An anti-reflux valve is activated to prevent escape of body waste and deactivated for passage of fluid. Retaining structure is connected to the catheter, and is non-surgically, snugly fittable into the stoma, to cause the port device to be self-retaining in a normal use position within a stoma, without surgery or fixation materials.”
U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,216 relates to “a multipurpose colostomy device for fixing in the stoma or rectum of a human body, includes an internal balloon, a ring configured external balloon surrounding the internal balloon, a connecting tube disposed under the both internal and external balloons, a joint tube operatively connected to a drainage hose and disposed under connecting tube, a supporting plate disposed between the connecting and joint tubes for fixing the colostomy to the abdominal wall, and an L-shaped supply tube containing a pair of air passages, a washing fluid passage and an enema fluid passage.”
U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,421 relates to “a continent ostomy valve comprising a drainage tube which is secured at one end within the stoma of the patient while the other end passes through an orifice in a disk-shaped valve body which includes releasable clamping means for selectively occluding the drainage tube. The outer end of the drainage tube is stored on the face of the valve body under a cover which encloses the valve body and provides a low profile of uniform configuration.
Additional background art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,527,755; 5,197,984; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/018995 A1; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0227971.